The Catholic Archdiocese of Brazil is threatening to sue an Italian broadcasting company over a television commercial showing Rio de Janeiro's famous Christ the Redeemer Statue clad in an Italian soccer jersey.

The advertisement, which aired on the Italian broadcasting station Rai ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, shows children playing soccer in the streets, sporting the jerseys of Italy's national team, "Azzurri." The advertisement then ends with a digitally altered image of the Christ the Redeemer statue wearing a number 10 "Italia" jersey, with the caption "Brazil Awaits Us."

Rodrigo Grazioli, a lawyer for Brazil's Catholic Church, told the O Globo newspaper that the church is threatening to sue the Italian broadcasting company for $5.4 million, vowing to give the payment to charity if the Catholic church wins the lawsuit. more >>

Brazil's Catholic Church has condemned the country's hosting of the upcoming World Cup, pointing out the billions that have been spent on stadiums while the country still fails to advance basic public services, such as sanitation and education.

Brazil's Bishops Conference distributed brochures in the country's dioceses last week, encouraging government officials to allow Brazilians to publicly protest the FIFA World Cup, which begins June 12 and ends July 13. The brochures condemn the country's World Cup organizers for spending a total of $11 billion in preparation for the World Cup, instead of contributing such a massive amount of money to the country's notoriously poor public services.

"The Church wants to contribute to the public debate and express its concern with [...] the inversion of priorities in the use of public money that should go to health, education, basic sanitation, transportation and security," the red brochure reads, in part. The appearance of the brochure resembles the "red card" given to a soccer player from a referee that indicates he has committed a flagrant foul. more >>

Over half a million Christians gathered throughout Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last week to partake in "March for Jesus," an annual event intended to showcase the country's growing evangelical population.

The march was held under the slogan "I belong to Jesus. I am a champion," in honor of the participants' faith and the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup, which Brazil is hosting beginning June 12. Many proclaimed the theme on jersey-style T-shirts, printed in the colors of the Brazilian flag and the national team's uniforms.

"We're here to represent our faith and show the strength of the evangelical population, which continues to grow," said Jardson Carioca, a 30-year-old bus driver who attended the march with 50 other members of his church, reports Hispanic news outlet Mundo Cristiano.more >>

A Brazilian student who auctioned then sold her virginity online for $780,000 last year is auctioning it again and hopes to get $1.5 million for it this time around.

The student, physical education major, Catarina Migliorini, 21, decided she wouldn't honor the winning bid on her purity, because the Japanese millionaire, Natsu, 53, who paid for it didn't match the physical description she had been given before she met with him, according to the Huffington Post.

Migliorini who became somewhat of a celebrity in Brazil after her story became public, claimed that, Justin Sisely, the filmmaker of the Australian documentary she did the first auction for, never gave her the money Natsu paid for her and there were other issues regarding the project. more >>

Pastor Cesar Peixoto of Iglesia Cristo La Verdad Que Liberta in Sao Roque, Brazil, is known for promising "divine liposuction" to his church members seeking a quick weight loss option, and now, after much criticism and reproach from the Brazilian evangelical community, Peixoto is denouncing allegations that he is a "charlatan."

According to Peixoto, those who have received divine liposuction through prayer have been healed from diseases including gastritis, ulcers, bone disease, thyroid aliments and have been freed from addictions in addition to losing weight. He also argues that the practice is biblically based because he says the first "spiritual operation" occurred when God created Eve from Adam's rib.

"Many people think it is absurd but it's a gift I received. I've been called a charlatan, but I'm not, the power of God passes through me and things happen," said Peixoto, according to NoticiaCristiana.com. more >>